Chapter 71: The "Amicable Separation" That Rocked the City...
The city-wide uproar over the "amicable separation" finally settled. Grand Tutor Gu, who had once firmly declared, "I cannot obey," ultimately found himself unable to defy imperial authority. Gu Yan lowered his eyes, a dim shadow cutting sharply across his profile, concealing the turbulent waves surging within.
*It was just a title,* Gu Yan repeated inwardly. He had carved his name for her, written so many memorials that had spread throughout the streets… In the past, he had often scoffed at the infatuated antics of younger men lost in the sea of love, and the sentimental poems penned by pedantic scholars. Now, in middle age, he had foolishly lost his head. Like an old house catching fire, his passion burned even fiercer than that of inexperienced youths.
The humiliation of having his wife taken from him today would be repaid in full, someday.
The Emperor was in high spirits. He looked at Gu Yan and asked, "Minister Gu, are you dissatisfied?"
Gu Yan's expression remained unchanged, though veins bulged beneath the sleeves of his official robe. "This subject dares not," he replied.
*Both thunderous wrath and gentle rain are favors from the sovereign.*
He thought to himself that it was the Emperor who had forced him into this. He, too, had wished to be a loyal minister, safeguarding Great Zhou's eternal foundation. The Virtuous Prince had harmed him, so he eliminated the Virtuous Prince. But the Crown Prince had betrayed him, and even the Emperor could no longer tolerate him. If the ruler was not wise, why should the minister cling to empty loyalty?
Unaware of Gu Yan's treasonous thoughts, the Emperor watched him submit without defiance, his tone quite pleased.
The Emperor said, "Matters of the heart are trivial. Recently, the Hanlin Academy, while compiling and revising the 'Zhou Codex Variants,' discovered that historians were vague, using subtle and nuanced language. The same historical event was recorded in entirely different ways, leaving future generations confused about their true meaning."
"Minister Gu is widely read and exceptionally knowledgeable. Throughout the court, I see no one more suited for this task than you."
This was effectively reassigning Gu Yan to the Hanlin Academy to compile texts. Among the court's ministries, each had its strengths and weaknesses, but the Hanlin Academy was a place of "purity without power"—unlike the Ministry of Revenue, which handled vast sums of money, or the Ministry of Personnel, which held real authority.
In just one month, Gu Yan had taken bold and decisive actions to gradually purge the remnants of the Virtuous Prince's faction. Now, aside from veteran ministers like Minister Li, most officials in the court had ties to the Crown Prince's faction. As the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, how could Gu Yan be relegated to compiling texts in the Hanlin Academy?
The Crown Prince's faction was deeply shaken, hesitating over whether to plead on Grand Tutor Gu's behalf. Unexpectedly, the usually silent Crown Prince stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The Grand Tutor's exceptional talent will surely live up to Your Majesty's great trust and complete this monumental work for the ages."
Gu Yan cast a sidelong glance at the Crown Prince with dark, brooding eyes but said nothing. After the court session, the Crown Prince caught up to Gu Yan, panting, "Grand Tutor—Grand Tutor, please calm your anger."
Gu Yan was tall and long-legged, a martial artist with a robust physique. The Crown Prince had to hurry to keep up with him.
"It is not that I did not speak for you, Grand Tutor. His Majesty currently distrusts you. This is a good time to lie low and bide your time. We must not act impulsively."
"Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor—"
Having just lost his wife that day, Gu Yan was irritated by the Crown Prince's chatter. He stopped walking, his eyes sinister.
"If I am to lie low, what is Your Highness doing? Indulging in tender comforts?"
The Crown Prince's expression faltered. He knew Gu Yan was referring to the Crown Princess's pregnancy. His condition was known only to heaven and earth—even Empress Xu was unaware. He was infertile, and the Crown Princess's pregnancy was a fabrication. In any case, once the time came, the Crown Princess would definitely give birth to a son. He needed a legitimate eldest son to solidify the Eastern Palace's position.
He lowered his head and said, "I... thanks to the excellent physician you found for me, my illness has been cured."
Whether it was truly cured or not, Gu Yan couldn't be bothered to investigate. He reminded in a deep voice, "If you do not uproot the weeds, they will grow again with the spring breeze."
He was referring to the wives, concubines, and children of the Virtuous Prince's household. Who would have thought the Crown Prince so useless? The Virtuous Prince was not convicted of treason, and his descendants continued to live well, supported by the imperial family.
A flicker of reluctance passed over the Crown Prince's handsome, refined face. He glanced around and whispered, "Grand Tutor, Prince Xian was, after all, my elder brother. We share the same bloodline."
Gu Yan smiled mockingly, "When you killed him, why didn't you remember he was your elder brother?"
The Crown Prince hurriedly defended himself, "It wasn't me—"
*It was Gu Yuan who had done it—he hadn't personally killed Prince Xian.*
Gu Yan paid no attention to the Crown Prince's denial. He raised his hand and patted the Crown Prince's shoulder, saying, "Prince Xian's eldest son is eighteen, and his youngest is not yet three."
"The Emperor feels remorseful toward Prince Xian and has shown extra favor to his household. Your nephews can freely enter and leave the palace. With the hatred of their father's death, what do you expect them to do?"
"Every bite of food you eat, every palace servant around you, even when you sleep at night... Do you dare feel at ease? Can you sleep soundly? Do you want to live a life of constant anxiety forever?"
"Remember the rebellion of Prince Qi? Have you read history books only to forget their lessons?"
In a foul mood, Gu Yan spoke with authority, each word heavy and severe. Though he had always maintained a cold, scholarly elegance on the surface, regardless of how ruthless his methods were behind the scenes, the Crown Prince was momentarily intimidated and fell silent.
Gu Yan had no patience to instruct him further. Leaving the Crown Prince with the words, "Those who achieve great things do not bother with minor details," he turned and walked away. The amicable separation meant removing her name from the family registry. Gu Yan felt a weight pressing on his heart, his expression terrifyingly grim.
***
There were no disputes over property. The amicable separation proceeded smoothly. On Yan Xuerui's side, the Emperor had already issued the decree. As for the Gu family, it originally required the gathering of clan elders to sign and seal the agreement. But since Gu Yan was the head of the household, no one dared to come and mock him without his consent.
The sky was overcast that day when Yan Xuerui stepped into the Marquis of Jingyuan's residence once again. The mansion remained surrounded by high walls, its courtyards deep and secluded. Yan Xuerui lifted her head and realized the walls that had confined her for so long did not seem so high after all.
After many days, she went to visit the elderly lady. To her shame, over the many years as a daughter-in-law of the Gu family, she had not fulfilled her duties as the matriarch. The elderly lady had treated her like her own daughter, and she had failed her.
The elderly lady was more open-minded than she had imagined. Having weathered palace upheavals, political struggles, and the rumors outside, she remained spirited despite her silver hair.
"My good child."
She said nothing, asked nothing, and only looked at the tallies and keys to the storehouses that had just been handed over, chuckling and scolding, "That boy, even in his old age, won't let me enjoy my retirement in peace."
Yan Xuerui's heart clenched, and she instinctively glanced at Gu Yan beside her. Gu Yan's expression was calm as he said to the elderly lady, "Your son is incompetent."
*I lost your daughter-in-law.*
The elderly lady snorted lightly, "You deserve it."
*Heaven sees what people do.* The elderly lady was reasonable. The young lady had never been willing in the first place—it was her son who had forced the matter, leading to this relationship. Time reveals a person's heart. Her daughter-in-law was a good girl. She could not blame Yan Xuerui, but people have their biases—after all, he was her own son.
She sighed, took Yan Xuerui's hand, and said, "Regardless of what happens between you and the Marquis, an old woman like me gets lonely in the residence. If Your Highness has time, would you come keep me company?"
Yan Xuerui looked at Gu Yan again. Gu Yan met her gaze but said nothing.
She probably guessed the reason behind Gu Yan's uncharacteristic agreement. If she came to the residence every day, it would be like a lotus stem still connected, undoing his efforts.
Facing the kind elderly lady, Yan Xuerui lowered her eyes, about to say something comforting. But Gu Yan interrupted her.
"It's getting late, Mother. I will see Rui'er out."
With that, he walked to Yan Xuerui's side, his black sleeves embroidered with gold lifting slightly. Yan Xuerui bit her lip and gently linked her arm with his.
In the past, when the couple went together to pay respects at Chunhui Hall, they had always been affectionate, arm in arm, a picture of deep love. This time, neither spoke. Yan Xuerui couldn't walk fast, and Gu Yan slowed his pace to match hers. The atmosphere between them was strange—though amicably separated, they walked arm in arm intimately, yet they felt so distant.
Gu Mingwei trailed slowly behind, her expression despondent and confused.
Her father had instructed her to be filial to her mother. She didn't understand. It was supposed to be fake—why had her always-loving parents suddenly amicably separated? She hated her imperial grandfather! For a moment, she even wished her mother weren't a princess. Now, with her elder brother far away in the northwest and her father and mother suddenly separated, her father forbade her from asking questions. Her mind was in turmoil.
Perhaps she should ask Su Huaimo another day?
Gu Mingwei thought, he was exceptionally talented; even after another round of selections, he still firmly held the top spot. However, in these troubled times, the court did not hold a grand Deer Cry Feast. He had already been granted his official seal, and people respectfully addressed him as "Lord" when he came and went. It just so happened that the Crown Prince's faction was purging the remnants of the Virtuous Prince's group, leaving many plum jobs vacant in the court. Su Huaimo was directly appointed to a fourth-rank position, leaping to become the Vice Minister of Personnel, skipping years of grinding.
Originally, Su Huaimo had planned to propose to the Marquis' family after achieving success in the imperial examinations. But now, with so many chaotic events happening, Mingwei was temporarily in no mood for marriage.
"Wait until your future parents-in-law reconcile," she told him.
Pestered nonstop by him, Mingwei pushed him away and returned to the marquis's residence to hold her younger brother. With her elder brother away, only she and Little Young Slave were left, unloved by their father and mother, like unwanted weeds.
"Gu Mingwei."
A deep, authoritative voice brought Mingwei back to the present. She hurried forward, and Gu Yan looked her over before giving a few instructions, mostly about being dutiful to her mother. Mingwei knew her father loved her mother dearly. Even with the carriage right there, she still held onto a sliver of hope that her father would gesture broadly and let her mother stay.
But nothing happened. Not even a word was exchanged between her mother and father, though they frequently glanced at each other. Gu Mingwei looked at her father, then at her mother—she felt as if she were being excluded, left out.
In Gu Mingwei's eyes, her father and mother had countless things left unsaid. In reality, Yan Xuerui did not linger for long, and Gu Yan did not ask her to stay. Under the gloomy, overcast sky, the carriage slowly moved forward. Mingwei lowered the curtain and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Mother, Father is watching us."
Yan Xuerui closed her eyes, her fingertips fidgeting with the embroidered patterns on her sleeve.
"Mingwei."
"Don't speak."
She felt choked up. It was something she had asked for herself, yet he had let go so suddenly, leaving her disoriented.